


Friends to (Still) Friends

by Smash_50



Series: Five Years Later [2]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gen, Happy Valentine's Day have some Platonic Sonouge, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Tropes but No Romance, Self-Indulgent, Set Five Years after Forces, Some Sonic Boom references but it's not Boomverse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29424576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smash_50/pseuds/Smash_50
Summary: They might not have a red string of fate or soulmate identifying marks or any of the other things, but that doesn't mean that Rouge and Sonic aren't held together by something just as strong.In which I put Sonic and Rouge through all the romantic tropes I can think of (except for the ones I've already done) but it never turns romantic.
Relationships: Rouge the Bat & Sonic the Hedgehog
Series: Five Years Later [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2077878
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31





	Friends to (Still) Friends

Neon lights flashed as the thud of the bass resounded, and the people on the dancefloor moved along with the noise as though it became one with their systems, from the air that they breathed to the blood in their veins, and the smell of sweat and drinks permeated the air, bringing everyone one step closer to intoxication with every breath. The club was packed, with people jammed together until voices and music and laughter mixed together and bounced off of the walls.

In a corner, only a couple of feet away from a group of inebriated dancers, Sonic the Hedgehog stood with his back to the wall and a drink in his hand. He rubbed at his eyes, already worn out from this outing, and stared down at his cup of Chaos Cola, wondering if he should just leave already.

Parties had always seemed like rare, fun things when he was younger, but he was twenty now, and parties were thrown every other day, in houses or in clubs, and he was expected to show up at more and more of them. It was a strange mix of things, from people on the news stations wondering why such a renown hero wouldn’t spend time with the people he was trying to save, to people on the internet claiming that being flighty worked for him as a teen but not as an adult. When he had started getting emails from publicists and image/branding consultants, Sonic decided that he would give conventional public socialization a go, but parties every other night were wearing down on him more than he had anticipated.

_ Aren’t twenty-year-olds supposed to be tireless party animals or something? _ Sonic wondered as he took a sip of his cola, grimacing as he lifted the drink too fast and some of it splashed onto his nose. The hedgehog didn’t even  _ want _ a soda, but it beat getting plastered in public and giving people more tabloid articles to eat up and tear into at his expense. Not to mention, Sonic couldn’t remember if he could legally drink here or not; with a world at his feet, all with different cultures and rules, it was hard to keep track of what went where.

Maybe he could pour out his drink in the bathroom and refill the cup with water from the sink? The idea wasn’t particularly appealing, but despite the music and atmosphere and everything, Sonic was just about bored enough to try. He pushed away from the wall, slid past the drunk, flailing dancers, and pushed his way to the men’s bathroom, but right as he reached out a hand to push the door, it swung open, and a tall, broad eagle stood in his way, his eyes lighting up in a way that Sonic knew all too well.

“Well if it isn’t Sonic the Hedgehog!” the eagle exclaimed, and yep, he even spoke like every other person who wanted something from him. Sonic fought back the urge to groan, wondering if it would be a brand deal or a shout-out on social media, and why things couldn’t be like when he was younger, when he had fans instead of business opportunities. He knew it was a pessimistic way of thinking, but the endless parties were really starting to make him run on empty and his patience was running thin. As the eagle stepped forward, still blocking the entrance to the bathroom, Sonic knew that this was his last party for a long, long time, celebrity image and all that garbage be damned.

“So Sonic, not to be too forward, but you’re not seeing anyone, are you?”

Sonic’s cup slipped from his fingers before he caught it, but all the same, at least half of the contents splattered on the floor. “Excuse me?” Sonic asked, floored at the straightforwardness of this guy and wondering if he heard him right over the music blasting at full volume.

“Are you single?” the eagle asked, and yep, this was really happening again. “Because my niece is a big fan and if you were interested, I could--”

_ Oh no. _ Oh no he wasn’t doing  _ this _ again.

Panic seized at him, and Sonic blurted out the first thing that came to mind in an effort to stop this train of conversation before things got out of hand. “Sorry, but I came here with someone!”

The eagle’s eyes narrowed, and Sonic felt like he was being scanned for the slightest tell that he was lying. “Just a one-time thing?” the bird pried, making Sonic wish it was socially acceptable to spin-dash through a throng of inebriated people to get out the door. “Because like I said, she’s a big fan of yours and would be thrilled for even just one--”

“I appreciate it,” Sonic interrupted, unwilling to be pushed into a pity-date. Surely this guy knew that it was unfair on his niece? He steeled himself, ready to put his improv skills to the test and to make a lie that was convincing enough that he could get out of this situation unscathed. “Really. But like I said, I’m here with someone, and we’re… we really want to see if it could go somewhere, you know? I just left to go to the bathroom and--”

“Then would you mind if I met this mystery person? I would love to meet the one who managed to get Sonic the Hedgehog to agree to something serious!”

_ This guy just didn’t give up, did he? _

Sonic opened his mouth to protest, but the eagle spun him around until they were both facing the crowd. Sonic shook off the nosy bird’s hand, his annoyance growing by the second, but the eagle seemed unphased, pointing out into the sea of people. “So which one are they?”

A pit of dread manifested in Sonic’s gut as he realized that he was a moment away from getting caught in his lie. He pretended to scan the room as his mind raced to think of what he could do.

He couldn’t point out a stranger; this bird had such a small sense of boundaries that he would go out and interrogate that poor soul. Sonic _had_ come here with a couple of friends, most of which were mixed up in the crowd, but who would be able to play along and get this guy to go away?

And like an answer to his pleas, his eyes locked on a familiar shock of white hair tumbling between a pair of wings.

_ Perfect. _

Sonic pointed out, barely having to feign his nervousness and reluctance, and just as he thought, the eagle zeroed in on the bat in the crowd. “You know who Rouge is, right? Well--”

“Interesting! Very interesting indeed!” The hand at his back pushed him into the crowd, and Sonic gave up any hope he had to shake this guy off; he wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer, and it was best if Sonic was there to cue Rouge in to this charade of his. He didn’t care how many drinks he was going to have to owe her if it meant getting rid of this dude.

Sonic trudged through the crowd, getting elbowed by a few of the wilder dancers, mentally preparing himself for the improvisation of a lifetime. Once Rouge was within earshot, he called out to her. A large ear twitched in his direction, and the bat spun around, looking from him to the eagle and back again, a strange look marring her features.

Sonic fought his way through the last few feet until he was next to her, and he heard the eagle walk up and stand right behind him, with still no regard for personal space. Flashing her a pleading look with his eyes, he said, “Hey… Look, I know we didn’t want to make a big deal out of this, but I bumped into this guy on my way to the bathroom and… well, he wanted to set me up with someone and I had to explain that we were… you know...”

Rouge stared at him. Sonic mouthed the word ‘please’, and the very next second, Rouge slapped her palm to her forehead with a sigh that was heavy enough to be heard over the music.

“Sonic, babe, you’re the one who asked me to keep it under wraps, but now you’re going out and telling people? What did I tell you about sending mixed signals?”

Sonic almost sighed with relief. _Thank Chaos for Rouge coming through for him!_

“Hey!” he said aloud, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “He was… very  _ persistent _ and well…”

“You had no place to run?” Rouge teased, sliding an arm over his shoulders and pulling him closer. “Maybe we should try someplace less crowded next time?”

“So it’s true then?”

The voice had Sonic turn in Rouge’s hold; the eagle was regarding them both with a hungry curiosity, and Sonic bristled with discomfort at the look.

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Rouge sighed. “I don’t know how much he’s told you, but Sonic’s my date tonight, and will be for several in the future if I play my cards right.”

“When do you not?” Sonic returned, leaning back against Rouge, who playfully slapped him on the arm. The hedgehog thanked his lucky stars that he had seen Rouge first; the bat was a natural at flirting and it seemed as though the nosy eagle was convinced.

“I see, I see. Well! Good luck to the both of you!” he exclaimed, finally stepping back. “I guess I’ll just… leave you two alone for now.”

With that, he disappeared into the crowd, much more hasty than Sonic would have guessed, and he turned to face the bar with Rouge, sighing in relief. The bat’s arm stayed over his shoulders, probably to keep the eagle convinced, even if he turned back.

“Thanks Rouge,” Sonic groaned. “You really saved my skin, there.”

The bat hummed in reply. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Rouge glanced at him. “Sweetie, did you not know who that was?”

The pit reappeared in Sonic’s stomach, and the hedgehog swallowed thickly. “Uh… A famous blogger?” he guessed, already dreading the response.

“Worse,” Rouge replied, her tone light, and Sonic felt his dread grow. “That was Soar the Eagle. As in, notorious reporter Soar the Eagle.”

The word ‘reporter’ hit Sonic like a punch to the gut. “Oh no,” he groaned, fighting the urge to hide his face in his hands.

“'Oh no' is right,” Rouge agreed, not letting up at all. “He’s got connections to tabloids, celebrity gossip, and big news, and I dare say you might have just got him his new big story for all three with that little lie of yours.”

“But he was trying to set me up with his niece!” Sonic protested, his dread growing with every passing second.

“Probably a lie,” Rouge responded, absentmindedly playing with a lock of hair. “One of the easiest ways to force a secret relationship out into the open is by pushing an option the subject can’t or won’t take and asking why not until they break.” The bat patted Sonic’s back a few times. “We might be seeing a big surge in media attention in the next day or two.”

The urge to hide his face came back, and Sonic didn’t bother to fight it, this time.

_ What had he gotten them into? _

* * *

Rouge was used to waking up to a slew of emails and notifications. Typically she would skim through them over breakfast — coffee was her best friend and greatest ally during these times, though it would have been faster to just eat the damn beans raw like her other best friend did — but today the amount of notifications made her blink and double-check the number.

The emails from work were about the same as usual, give or take, but what had happened that warranted so many texts and messages and tags and…

Rouge sat up in bed, yawning as she unlocked her phone. She slid her finger down from the top of the screen to enlarge the notifications, carefully flicking past her mountain of emails to the good stuff.

When she saw that #sonouge was trending, she had a pretty good guess as to what had happened.

"That reporter doesn’t waste any time," she mumbled, blearily recalling their meeting in the club where Sonic had been desperate enough to play right into his hands. Rubbing the sleep from one of her eyes, she scrolled past her texts — most of them some degree of 'is this true' or 'y didnt u tell me' — to her preferred private messaging app. She had always told anyone worth telling that if they  _ really _ wanted to reach her, they needed to use a service with encryption, even if it was third-party.

Sure enough, she had a handful of messages there, too, but only one was from Sonic, sent almost half an hour ago.

**Big Blue: HELP**

Rouge let out a soft chuckle, opening up their chat thread. As much fun as it would have been to make fun of him for causing all of this, she knew Sonic had probably tortured himself enough over it already. She could only imagine how blown-up  _ his _ phone was right about then.

She decided to cut right to the chase.

**Batgirl: Sweetie you really should have seen this coming.**

...Okay, maybe she’d tease him just a little bit.

**Batgirl: But the way I see it, we have two options.**

She began typing, even as she saw the notification that Sonic was also tapping away in response. She paid his reply of ‘how what plz rouge ill do anything’ no mind, carefully spelling out the first option.

**Batgirl: We could tell everyone it was a lie and go to all the press and interviews we can. This will cut into our time like crazy, and they’re gonna twist our words. People also will believe what they want to believe so the rumors wont stop even if we say it until were blue in the face.**

She paused for just a second before typing again.

**Batgirl: Or bluer in your case XD**

She let the phone slip from her hand as she yawned again and stretched, screwing her eyes shut and reopening them. Her ears picked up the sound of feet pacing several rooms away, and she wondered if Shadow or Omega had seen the ‘news’.

Her phone vibrated, reminding her that she was in the middle of a conversation.

**Big Blue: ok that sounds bad whats option 2**

**Batgirl: Easy. We give the people what they want to see. Go out on a couple of dates until were not the big thing anymore and then we say we broke up. Then were yesterdays news and were free to live our lives normally.**

There was a lengthy pause after that, oddly enough. Rouge would have thought that Sonic would be speed-typing his thoughts at a hundred miles a second, but it was a good three minutes until she saw him begin to type back.

**Big Blue: idk i mean**

**Big Blue: i like you but i dont want that kind of relationship w you**

**Big Blue: i know its fake and all but**

**Big Blue: i never saw myself joking around abt this sorta thing**

**Big Blue: and i guess this feels too real rn**

Rouge sighed, pursing her lips as she wondered how to respond.

**Batgirl: Were in it whether you like it or not, Blue.**

**Batgirl: Either we hang out more than usual and do more of that splendid improv you managed at the club…**

**Batgirl: Or the press digs into every aspect of our social life until they find something new they can use and twist to their advantage.**

Rouge reread what she had sent, frowning at the tone. Had that been too harsh?

**Batgirl: If it makes you feel any better, I dont think we have to act any different than we already do.**

**Batgirl: I already have this “terrible habit” of flirting with my friends.**

Sonic’s reply was instantaneous.

**Big Blue: ill say! lol**

**Big Blue: guess itll work 2 our advantage now huh**

Rouge grinned at the screen.

**Batgirl: So youre in?**

**Big Blue: guess so**

**Big Blue: still feels weird but u kno what**

**Big Blue: ive done crazier things**

**Big Blue: and at least we can tell our friends to play along**

**Batgirl: Good point, but Id tell them in person.**

**Batgirl: People will find ways to read unsecured messages.**

**Big Blue: more of that encryption stuff?**

**Big Blue: lol ok**

**Big Blue: def cant hurt**

**Big Blue: hey and rouge**

**Batgirl: Yeah?**

**Big Blue: thnx for helping me out**

Rouge’s lips curved into a small smile.

**Batgirl: No problem Blue. Ill message you after work and we can figure some more stuff out.**

And with that out of the way, Rouge looked at the mountain of other issues she had to deal with, biting back a sigh.

This was going to be a long,  _ long _ day.

* * *

**Big Blue: hey rouge whens ur next free day**

**Batgirl: Well hello to you too, babe.**

**Batgirl: I have my first Saturday in**

**Batgirl: like**

**Batgirl: a month free this week.**

**Big Blue: no kidding!**

**Big Blue: last time we got to hang out on a saturday i think that was when we went apple picking and made that pie**

**Big Blue: i thought shadow was gonna kill us for what we did to the kitchen**

**Batgirl: XD**

**Batgirl: At least the pie turned out good!**

**Batgirl: Lumpy and weird looking but good!**

**Big Blue: haha yeah**

**Big Blue: but if you dont mind hangin out with ur fav not bf**

**Big Blue: saturdays good for me too**

**Big Blue: just no shoplifting**

**Big Blue: getting chased out of a megastore doesnt count as a date**

**Batgirl: Its all about the execution my dear.**

**Batgirl: Besides its not like those giant chains are losing anything they cant make back in an hour.**

**Big Blue: still**

**Big Blue: not good for that image people keep telling me that i have**

**Batgirl: Fine. Have it your way.**

**Batgirl: But were not doing laser tag again either!**

**Big Blue: aw come on!**

**Big Blue: that was fun!**

**Batgirl: For you, maybe!**

**Batgirl: Were not all gifted with super speed you know!**

**Big Blue: u coulda flyed**

**Big Blue: got me from above like a sniper**

**Batgirl: With that vest crushing my wings???????**

**Batgirl: No way darling. I was like a sitting duck, and IM the one who has gun training.**

**Big Blue: :P**

**Big Blue: we had dinner last time**

**Big Blue: and if its something we can do all day i want it to be fun**

**Batgirl: Well…**

**Batgirl: How about we go to the boardwalk?**

**Big Blue: uh**

**Big Blue: no**

**Batgirl: Why not????**

**Batgirl: Fun rides, junk food, theres bound to be one you can bring me to with nice weather...**

**Big Blue: water rouge**

**Big Blue: water everywhere**

**Big Blue: and those boards always look so old**

**Batgirl: But I can fly, remember?**

**Batgirl: Dont worry babe, Ill save you from the evil, nasty water.**

**Big Blue: cmon i mean it**

**Big Blue: maybe just a normal amusement park?**

**Big Blue: plz**

**Big Blue: meet me in the middle here**

**Batgirl: Its more expensive, but fine.**

**Batgirl: Ill do it for you.**

**Big Blue: :D**

**Big Blue: i knew u couldnt resist my power of persuation**

**Batgirl: Its true.**

**Batgirl: I see you write “plz” and Im a goner.**

**Batgirl: Omegas making a racket so I got to go!**

**Batgirl: See you Saturday. Meet at the usual place?**

**Big Blue: u kno it!**

**Big Blue: cya!**

* * *

“And it’s just like…” Sonic trailed off, taking a quick nibble of his cotton candy before continuing, “I’m faster than any rollercoaster these guys have, what makes you think I’m gonna stand in line for fifteen minutes or more?”

Rouge rolled her eyes, digging her straw into her snowcone. “You’re too impatient. Good things come to those who wait.”

Sonic laughed. “Like you’re one to talk! You never want to go on the rides that swing you around in the air.” He raised his voice in pitch, doing a poor imitation of the bat. “I can already fly, sweetie, these things aren’t worth my time!”

Rouge mock-gasped, and Sonic laughed again at the sight of her bright red tongue, stained from the cherry syrup on her treat. “You accuse  _ me _ of being unreasonable? Of all the nerve!”

“Hypocrisy!” Sonic accused, pointing at her. “Hypocrisy, I say!”

“Ooooh! Well I  _ never!”  _ Rouge pouted for a good three seconds before breaking out into a grin, and Sonic mirrored the look before he scanned the park for another ride to try. Preferably one without long lines and that wasn’t the carousel 一 as classically fun as it was, it never went fast enough for his liking, and they had already ridden it twice regardless.

At the corner of his eye, he noticed a glint of light. A glint he knew all too well.

_ Cameras… and paparazzi.  
_

Sonic felt his spines raise in frustration, but the very next second, Rouge’s arm rested snugly over his shoulders, forcing them to ease down. Sonic let out his breath, already feeling calmer.

“Always camera-ready, huh?” he bantered.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rouge dismissed, idly examining her snowcone. “I just wanted an armrest.”

Sonic chuckled, sliding his own arm across her back, his hand landing on her waist, right above her hip. “Is that supposed to be a short joke?” he accused.

That made Rouge smirk. “When is it not?” she taunted. “Short-stack.”

“Shut up,” Sonic returned, threatening her with his cotton candy as though it were a sword, making her comically recoil. “At least I don’t wear heels!”

“Right, that’s Shadow’s thing,” she deflected, and that made Sonic laugh again.

The flash of light from the side made itself known again, and with the way Rouge’s ear twitched, it seemed as though she picked up the sound of the shutter closing. Both mobians tensed up a little, irritated that their fun day out had to be documented for public consumption.

“Do you think that they’ll go away if we give them more of what they want again?” Sonic asked under his breath, covering his mouth with his cotton candy to hide the fact that he was talking.

In response, Rouge hummed once under her breath, another piece of code they had made up together. One hum meant yes, two meant no. Ordinarily, Rouge would give him reasonings and pros and cons 一 an occupational hazard, he supposed, when one worked in intelligence 一 but they had been doing this for a couple of months now. Sonic could guess that she meant to say that it was worth a shot.

Rouge’s head leaned toward him, a silent sign that she was okay with it, and Sonic tried not to look toward the pathetically poorly hidden photographer as he pressed his lips to her cheek, followed by resting his temple against hers. Rouge squeezed his shoulder 一  _ “You’re doing great, darling.” _ 一 and Sonic patted her side once 一  _ “Thanks. You too.” _

Neither of them had to fake their smiles as they continued their way through the amusement park, eating their treats in comfortable silence.

* * *

Rouge shifted against Sonic’s arm, trying to get comfortable again, while the hedgehog’s eyes remained glued to the screen as he furiously mashed the buttons on his controller. She had moved from having her head on his lap to leaning against his side when he had elbowed her in the cheek one too many times, but his constantly-wiggling shoulder wasn’t much better. The bat sighed and leaned backwards against the couch, feeling Sonic nudge her apologetically with his shoulder.

As much as she would have liked to join him in multiplayer mode, time and trial had proven that Rouge was absolute  _ garbage _ at Tomatopotamus 2. It was more fun to watch Sonic do well on his own in the main game, but it did leave her with a lack of things to do with her hands or her voice.

The bat brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them in place for a few seconds before she fumbled around for her phone, checking for any new emails or messages. However, something else caught her attention.

The date.

“Hey sweetie?”

“Hm?”

“We’ve been going out for three months now.”

Sonic’s fingers slipped, and on the screen, Rouge saw Tomatopotamus hesitate despite having a clear shot to the next platform. Sonic was back on his game the very next second, and Rouge chose to wait for him to respond when he was ready.

“Three months, huh?” Sonic sounded thoughtful. “So do you think… we can stop pretending we’re…?”

Rouge looked back at her phone, trying to remember the last time she and Sonic had made a headline, or the last time she had seen ‘sonouge’ trending on any social media platform. “I think we can,” she said softly. “We’ll get more reporters trying to uncover a scandal that isn’t there but… we can definitely get away with saying that we feel more comfortable as friends.”

“So the truth?” Sonic quipped, and Rouge giggled in response.

“Exactly, my dear. It’ll take a little bit of time, but I think we made the right decisions when it came to all this.”

Sonic nodded, eyes still glued to the screen. “I guess we have to figure out how to announce it next, right?”

Rouge smirked. “Well well! Look at you, learning to plan ahead!”

“I learned from the best.”

They fell back into silence at that, with Sonic breezing through the level now, seeming lighter than Rouge had seen him in a while. Yet, despite everything, Rouge felt some trepidation at what was to come, and it bothered her.

She enjoyed spending time with Sonic. With the past three months, Rouge had been able to do activities that she had always thought about doing but never wanted to do on her own, all through this arrangement that the two had. She had had a lot of fun, and she couldn’t deny that something had grown between the two of them, something strong and precious.

Sonic was not what she was looking for in a romantic partner, she knew that for a fact. She was very sure that the feeling was mutual. But a special friendship had been cemented between the two of them, a close one that she didn’t want to lose.

She didn’t want to stop hanging out with him on her rare free days. She didn’t want to go around being called ‘Sonic’s ex’, because Chaos, ‘ex’ was such an ugly word, one that implied that something was lost or damaged, when they weren't supposed to be losing anything, when all they were doing was removing the superfluous titles and actions for the cameras that they hadn’t wanted in the first place.

But after so long of pretend-dating, and so many years of romance movies telling her that all breakups were messy and ended in distance, the change looming on the horizon felt ominous and inevitably bad.

And then Sonic opened his mouth again.

“We’re still up for ice skating next week, though, right?”

And just like that, Rouge felt her nervousness vanish and her smile return.  


“You know it.”

“Awesome.”

“And I’m still allowed to cuddle with you, right?”

“Huh? Yeah, knock yourself out.”

Rouge grinned and leaned against her friend again, deciding that she could deal with a wiggly shoulder. “Good. You’re comfy.”

Sonic let out a quiet snort. “Yeah, only you would call a hedgehog ‘comfy’.”

Rouge lightly flicked his forehead in response, and Sonic cried out in frustration as the gesture caused him to miss the next jump and lose a life.

_ They knew they were always going to be friends. _


End file.
